PREMIUM TIMES/CAMPUS REPORTER’s Journalists shortlisted for fact-checking awards

Africa-Check has shortlisted three journalists with PREMIUM TIMES and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) for honours in the fifth edition of the African Fact-Checking Awards.

Akintunde Babatunde, Adejumo Kabir and Alawode Ibrahim are among 13 others from different African countries in the shortlist.

Africa-Check is an organisation promoting the accuracy of information. Its annual awards honour journalists in Africa-based media in the growing field of fact-checking.

Mr Babatunde, a programme officer with PTCIJ, was picked for his entry: “FACT CHECK: How accurate is Finance Minister Adeosun’s claim on JAMB?”

Messrs Adejumo and Alawode were shortlisted for the Best Student Journalist Fact-Check category. Mr Adejumo is still a student at the Obafemi Awolowo University while Mr Alawode recently graduated from the University of Ibadan.

According to details provided on Africa-Check website, over 150 entries from more than 20 countries; Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Zimbabwe were submitted.

Submission of entries for the awards closed on August 19 and are now being evaluated by an international jury.

The winners and runners-up will be announced at a ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa, in late October.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the jury for the awards, Franz Kruger, a university professor, commented on the quality of fact-check stories by students.

“In general, there was some really good work. We were particularly struck by the student entries, which were very strong. In some cases, they were well ahead of entries from professional journalists.”